Combined Reactive Gas Timing Magnetron Sputtering and Glancing Angle Deposition Technique Fabrication of Vertically Aligned Amorphous TiO₂ Nanorod Films

TiO₂ nanostructures have been shown to enhance the performance of various advanced nanodevices, such as sensors, photovoltaics, and solar cell devices. Herein, an alternative technique is presented for the single‐step direct growth of TiO₂ nanorod thin films on a substrate. This technique combines reactive gas timing magnetron sputtering with the glancing angle deposition technique and is thoroughly analyzed for its potential. The influence of the Ar:O₂ timing ratio on the properties of TiO₂ nanorod thin films is investigated. The analysis, using field‐emission scanning electron microscopy and grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction, reveals a well‐defined, vertically aligned TiO₂ nanorod structure that is amorphous across all prepared samples. The optical property reveals a high transmission of over 80% in the visible regions, achieved by shorter Ar gas timing due to the increasing O/Ti ratio. The work function, influenced by morphology, is tuned by varying the Ar:O₂ timing ratio, which is beneficial for developing high‐performance optical sensors and solar cell devices.